Former deputy commerce minister Banyin Tangpakorn, right, is arrested for murder, after being found with a suspect in a related case, Uracha Wachirakulton, left, at a resort in Nakhon Ratchasima province on Tuesday morning. (Crime Suppression Division photo)[/i]

Crime Suppression Division (CSD) police apprehended the 52-year-old politician at a resort named Town Square Suite in Khao Yai area of Pak Chong district, where he was in the company of a woman suspect in a related case, former stock broker Uracha Wachirakulton. Ms Uracha, who is free on bail, was not charged.

Police obtained a warrant for his arrest from the Phra Khanong court in Bangkok on Monday on a charge of participating in premeditated murder to conceal another offence.

Police were interrogating retired Pol Lt Col Banyin and said more details would be given at a media conference at the CSD headquarters in Bangkok on Tuesday afternoon. He was deputy commerce minister in the Samak Sundaravej government in 2008.

Chuwong, 50-year-old founder of major construction firm Standard Performance, was found dead in the front passenger seat of Banyin's Lexus sport utility vehicle after it hit a roadside tree in Prawet district, Bangkok, on June 26 last year.

Mr Banyin was the driver. The two men first met during a course at the National Defence College years ago.

He and three women were earlier charged with stealing shares worth 260 million baht from Chuwong a short time before he was found dead. Police found documents had been forged to change the status of the share transactions from pledges against loans to transfers.

The women knew Mr Banyin. One of them, Kanthana Siwathanapol, 27, was a model and claimed to be Chuwong's mistress and later gave birth to a child she said was his.

Another of the three women, Ms Uracha, was with Banyin at the time of his arrest. She earlier received Chuwong's shares through an account in the name of her 53-year-old mother. She also earlier claimed to be Chuwong's mistress.

Chuwong's family always doubted the tycoon really died when Mr Banyin's vehicle hit the tree, after finding out about the suspicious share transfers.